I think my toes have fallen off

With the snow seeming to offer a brief respite I decided yesterday to go ahead with my plans of driving to Glasgow to cheer on Partick Thistle in their big cup tie. Unfortunately, Mrs Weather was merely teasing me, as no sooner had Colin and I left Stonehaven (Colin's home town) the skies opened and dumped all manner of icy whiteness on top of us for almost the entire 140 mile journey.

Here's a picture taken from the passenger seat of the car not long after we joined the dual carriageway. At this point we were debating whether staying local and going to Aberdeen's game instead might be a wiser idea.

However, not being wise we continued our slide down to the Central Belt, eventually arriving only minutes before kick off. Here's the scene from within the ground (taken just as the game kicked off). Please don't look at the empty seats in the background and think we were only ones stupid enough to turn up in the freezing conditions - according to the official match attendance there were another 4451 sorry souls alongside us.

I eventually got home just after 9.30pm after what turned out to be almost a 12 hour day - all for a one and a half hour game of football. That we lost two nil. In temperatures of minus 11 degrees.

Still, the photo above shows what was waiting for me as I arrived home. Firstly, he looks gorgeous. Secondly, he was sleeping so being greeted with perfect peace, quiet and tranquility certainly didn't suck......

I took another photo just in case the first was a bit blurry.

And then I took a third simply to see how close to his face I could click the camera without him waking!

He stayed asleep - he could sleep through a nuclear holocaust.

Seems Carole had fun with Monster Boy while I was gone. Apparently they spent the day reading, playing card games and having a picnic. Carole's friend Annie came round too (Luca peculiarly calls her Auntie Auntie) which seemed to please him. However, his obtuse nature showed itself again when I quizzed him about it:-

"Did Auntie Auntie come to see you?"

"Yes she did. I like Auntie Auntie. We had fun. But she went home"

"That's a shame. Did that make you sad?"

"No"

His final word was accompanied with a quizzical glance which seemed to question why I would even ask such a question. He's an odd boy at times.

Anyway, back to Saturday. I arrived back at the house with a bag of chips - I hadn't had tea - only to find Caroles eyes locked more on greasy paper bag than on her loving fiancee. So my tea ended up being half a bag of chips. Which I had to fight for.

We watched a movie together before my eyelids gave up on me. "Hostage", starring Bruce Willis. Rather good it was to be fair, but seemed pretty much to be a copy of "Die Hard". Except Bruce Willis had a lot less hair and little more tummy.

This morning I ran out first thing to the gym, primarily because I was feeling a bit grotty after yesterday. The usual case after a whole day of driving, all you eat is takeaway food and sweeties. The session did me good though, and I took Luca to the swimming pool and shops as soon as I arrived home. He had fun again and is quickly gaining his water legs. "We swim back again" was his cry each time we completed a breadth of the pool. Very funny watching those slightly uncoordinated legs kick energetically through the water like a crocodile in a death roll.

**Useless fact of the day - The capacity of Partick Thistles Firhill Stadium is 10,921**